Photo By Abigail Meyer | Family members of Staff Sgt. Roberto Loeza, Jr. decorated his gravesite following the...... read more read more
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EL PASO, Texas -Memorial Day was set aside for Americans to remember and honor their war dead. In modern society, there tends to be more of an emphasis on merchandise sales or barbeques, but hundreds of people from the El Paso and Fort Bliss gathered at the Fort Bliss National Cemetery here Monday to pay tribute to those who died serving the United States, showing they remember the sacrifice of those brave men and women.
“To those of us who have served, or had our family touched by war, it means so much more,” said Brig. Gen. Kurt S. Crytzer, commanding general of Joint Task Force North. “I personally do not consider this day a holiday in the traditional sense, but a time for remembrance and reflection in honor of those who paid the ultimate sacrifice to our country.”
Crytzer spoke during the ceremony, hosted by JTFN, reminding those in attendance the true meaning of the day and what makes a true hero.
“The men and women who laid down their lives for us, no matter how they died, those who answered the call, who put themselves in harm’s way and gave their lives as the ultimate sacrifice for the country they loved, those are my heroes,” Crytzer said. “Families who suffered unimaginable loss and continued to push forward and support others, those are my heroes.”
Several Gold Star Families attended the ceremony and then visited the grave of their loved ones. The Loeza family remembers Staff Sgt. Roberto Loeza, Jr. every single day.
“Not a day goes by that we don’t think about him, that we don’t care about him, he’s with us everywhere we go,” said Karina Loeza-Gasca, one of Loeza’s three siblings.
Loeza died of injuries sustained by indirect fire May 25, 2012, while serving in Logar Province, Afghanistan. One of Karina’s favorite memories of her brother was a sibling collaboration to cover up the cause of a black eye.
“One of my favorite memories, and I will forever cherish them, is when my brothers were younger and were big into wrestling, and I remember Junior gave my younger brother a purple eye,” Karina said. “He (Roberto) begged my brother ‘Please don’t tell Mom,’ so we all came up with the story … that he landed on a toy car.”
Karina said she and her family will never forget her brother, and hopes people remember that families such as hers are still paying the price.
“Before, to us, Memorial Day was just barbeque, a family get together. But now that we know the true meaning of it, it completely changed our views,” Karina said. “I hope people remember that it’s because of people like him (Roberto) that they have the freedoms they have and to not take them for granted.”
The ceremony honored those who bravely answered their nation’s call to fight for freedom. It included the traditional cannon, rifle volleys, and a selection of music played by members of the 1st Armored Division Band.
| Date Taken: | 05.30.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 05.31.2016 18:27 |
| Story ID: | 199602 |
| Location: | EL PASO, TX, US |
| Web Views: | 34 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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